Read Online A Rich Man for Dry Creek / a Hero for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad - Free Book Online Page A

he?”
    â€œHe took the bus to follow them.”
    â€œMercy!” Mrs. Hargrove put her hands to her mouth. “When they have guns! And the boy all alone.”
    â€œI don’t think he’s quite all alone,” Robert said grimly as he looked over the teenagers again. Then he looked at the girl. “How many other guys are with him?”
    The girl looked miserable. “Ten.”
    â€œLord have mercy,” Mrs. Hargrove said again.
    â€œWe’ll have to catch them,” Robert said, looking over at the ranch hands. He recognized the men’s faces from the ride into Dry Creek on the bus that was now in hot pursuit of the cattle truck. None of them would have a vehicle here. “Who’s got a pickup we can borrow?”
    â€œYou can take ours,” one of the farm wives offered as she bent to fumble in her purse for the keys.
    â€œAnyone call the sheriff yet?” Robert asked as he eyed half a dozen of the ranch hands. “I don’t suppose anyone here has a hunting gun in their truck?”
    â€œWe called the sheriff,” Jenny said with a nod to another one of the ranch women. She held up the cell phone that had been resting in her apron pocket. “But he’s tied up at the Billings airport with some woman who came in, named Laurel Carlton or something like that.”
    â€œLaurel?” Robert paled. “Here?”
    Well, this is it, Jenny thought. Robert certainly looked uncomfortable with the thought of this woman, whoever she was. Maybe her sister was right and he was married after all.
    â€œFred has a gun,” one of the ranch hands yelled from the other side of the barn. “Uses it to scare off coyotes on his place.”
    â€œIt’s an old rifle—draws a little to the left,” the man explained as he walked fast toward the door. “But I’ll get it. It’s better than nothing.”
    â€œI think everyone should just wait for the authorities,” Mrs. Buckwalter said. “Let them handle it. A gun can be a dangerous thing.”
    One of the ranch hands snorted. “Tell that to whoever’s in the truck. We can’t wait for the sheriff. They’ll be long gone by the time he gets here.”
    â€œHe’s right,” Robert said.
    The farm woman with the pickup pressed a set of keys into the palm of Robert’s hand. “The tank’s half-full.”
    The other men looked at Robert. He nodded his head at five or six of the sturdiest-looking ones and they, almost in unison, dipped their heads to drop a kiss on their wives’ cheeks before starting toward the door.
    Now that’s what marriage is about, Robert thought to himself. The automatic, comfortable affection of settled love. Having someone to kiss goodbye when you’re going off to war or even just heading to the store.
    Seeing all those kisses made him feel lonely enough to be brave. What could it hurt?
    Jenny was talking to Robert’s mother, her head bent slightly to hear his shorter mother. The dark wave of Jenny’s hair lay on her neck. Wisps of hair moved with his hand as Robert brushed the hair aside. He hoped to get Jenny’s full attention. He’d kissed Mrs. Hargrove on her hair part earlier and had no more appetite for hair kisses.
    Jenny looked up. His mother looked up. Satisfied, Robert bent his head to kiss Jenny on her cheek. Her skin was soft as a petal. He could hear her surprised gasp even though it was little more than an indrawn breath.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” Robert assured Jenny quickly, overlooking the fact that she hadn’t asked.
    â€œYou’re not going with them,” Robert’s mother said. Jenny still seemed a little dazed. The older woman repeated, “You can’t possibly be thinking of going with them.”
    â€œI’ll be fine.” Robert moved to kiss his mother, as well. “Don’t worry.”
    â€œBut they have guns!” Mrs. Buckwalter said, as